Brace



(No Model.) Y

' V G. S. MILLER.

BEACH.

N0. 504,604. Patented Sept. 5, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. MILLER, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,604, datedSeptember 5, 1893.

Application filed April 6, 1893, Serial No. 469,326. (No model.)

To 410% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. MILLER, of Council Bluffs, in the countyof Pottawattamic and State of Iowa, have invented a new and ImprovedBrace, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to braces used for supporting planks inexcavations, such as ditches, canals, &c.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved brace,whichis simple and durable in construction, readily applied, and adaptedto be extended to varying widths in the excavations.

The invention consists of two bars, of which one is provided with apivoted yoke through which passes the other bar, and a link for lockingthe bars together.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improvement as applied. Fig. 2 isan enlarged sectional side elevation of the improvement; and Fig. 3 is aplan view of the bar head for carrying the yoke.

The improved brace is provided with the bars A and B preferably tubular,adapted to be extended one over the other, to form a brace having alength corresponding to the width of the excavation, to properly holdthe planks or other devices forming the banks of the excavation, inplace. The barAis formed with a head 0 having its-end rounded off, as isplainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rounded part being also concaved atO to form a channel or guideway for the other bar B. In the head 0 isarranged a transversely extending pivot D engaging the ends of aU-shaped yoke E, through which passes loosely the bar B, the said yokebeing prevented from slipping when the bars are applied, by a stop pin Fpassing transversely through one of a series of apertures G formed inthe bar B. The outer end of the barB is formed with the usual foot H,adapted to engage one side of the excavation, while the other side ofthe latter is engaged by a foot I, held on the other bar A. A link J ishung loosely on the bar A and is adapted to engage the other bar B whenthe latter is pressed down on top of the bar A, to rest on thelatter, asis plainly shown in the upper part of Fig. 1.

The device is used as follows: The bar A is first placed in a horizontalposition to engage, with its foot I, one side of the excavation, asshown in the lower part of Fig. 1, the other barB then being slidoutward in the yoke E, to engage, with its foot H, the other side of theexcavation. The bar B then stands in an inclined position, and when itsfoot rests against the respective side of the excavation, then the pin Fis inserted in the aperture G next to the outer side of the yoke E, andthen the operator bears down on the upper end of the bar to pressthelatter downward upon the top of the bar A. As soon as the bars are inthis position, the link J is lifted and slipped over the bar B, so as tohold and lock the bars A and B together, as is plainly showniu the upperpart of Fig. 1. It will be seen that by this arrangement the brace canreadily be extended to any width of excavation,and can readily beapplied and locked in place in the manner described. The brace may bemade still further extensible than as shown and described, by couplingshort pieces of pipe on the ends of the tubular bars A, B, therebyadapting the brace to fit any ditch much wider than the combined lengthof the said bars.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A brace comprising two bars, a yoke carriedon the head of one of the bars and through which passes the other bar,and a link for locking the two bars together, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. A brace comprising two bars, of which one is provided with a head andthe other with a series at apertures, a yoke pivoted on the said head,and a stop pin passing through one of the said apertures in the saidbar, substantially as shown and described.

3. A brace comprising two bars, of which one is provided with a head andthe other with a series of apertures, a yoke pivoted on the said head, astop pin passing through one of the said apertures in the said bar, anda link for looking the two bars in position, as set forth.

4. A brace comprising abar formed at one end with a foot and at theother end with a head having a rounded concaved outer surface, a yokepivoted on the sides of the said head, a second bar passing looselythrough the said yoke and guided in the said rounded head, the saidsecond bar being provided with a foot and a series of apertures, a pinadapt- [5 ed to engage one of the said apertures to limit the movementof the yoke on the apertured bar, and a link for locking the two barstogether, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE S. MILLER.

Witnesses:

A. W. RIEKMAN, J AS. N. BOWMAN.

